My Little Yami
by VyxenSkye
Summary: Sequel to ‘My Little Aibou.’ Yami and Yugi have settled into their new lifestyle as father and son, but their enemy comes back, and this time presents Yugi with a challenge that may be impossible…
1. Chapter 1

My Little Yami

By: Hitokiri Musei

Rated: T

Summary: Sequel to 'My Little Aibou.' Yami and Yugi have settled into their new lifestyle as father and son, but their enemy comes back, and this time presents Yugi with a challenge that may be impossible…

If you have not read My Little Aibou this will be tough to understand, so please read it!

I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

* * *

Chapter 1

"Daddy… Daddy… Daddy! Daddy!"

Yami opened his eyes reluctantly, turning his head to see his two and a half years old son/hikari, violet eyes a little worried. "Yes, Yugi?"

"You okay, Daddy? You sleeping lots." Yugi asked with a tilt of his tiny head, his limited vocabulary keeping him to small sentences.

Yami yawned, stretching and then falling limp on the couch. "I'm fine, sweetheart. Just tired. It's part of getting old."

Yugi scoffed. "You not old."

Yami chuckled. "I'm getting there."

Yugi pushed at his father's forehead. "Only 22!"

"So?"

Yugi pouted, crossing his chubby little arms and pushing out his lower lip. "Not old."

Yami grinned, grabbing the child and tickling him. "No frowns!"

Squealing erupted from the boy, and he fought, wriggling in Yami's grasp, laughing and giggling. "DADDY!!"

Sugoroku came in at that time, smiling as he spotted the 'torture' on the couch. "Oh no, what are you doing to my grandbaby?"

"SAVE ME, PA!" Yugi screamed, still trying to escape.

Yami scooped up the wriggling child, running around the room. "You'll never take him from me!"

After a while Yami settled on the floor breathing hard, lying on his back. Yugi sprawled across the ex-Pharaoh's stomach, laying his head on Yami's chest.

Sugoroku sat on the couch with a sigh. "Oh, I'm getting too old for this…"

Yugi giggled faintly, playing with the strands of hair against Yami's throat, scooting upwards so he could have more access.

"Hey, anybody there?"

Yugi leapt up, nearly knocking the wind out of Yami as he used the ex-Pharaoh's stomach as a springboard. "Joey, Joey!"

There was a thump, and then Joey laughed loudly. "Hey, kiddo, how's it going?"

Yami snorted as he heard Yugi's response. "Daddy's bein' lazy."

Bakura's loud obnoxious voice came to Yami, and he turned his head to see the thief entering. "That Pharaoh's always been lazy!"

Yami rolled his eyes, flipping Bakura off. A second later a little body tackled him, knocking the air from his lungs. "Don't do that, Daddy! Is bad!"

Yami groaned softly, lifting Yugi off him and trying to get his breath back. Yugi was snatched from his grasp by Ryou, who could see that the ex-Pharaoh was having trouble breathing.

After a moment Yami was able to breathe normally, and he sat up, rubbing his head. Yugi was watching him guiltily, violet eyes a little worried. Ryou settled the boy on his shoulders, cooing softly to him.

Yugi looked away as his father's crimson eyes turned towards him. "Sorry, Daddy."

"It's okay, no harm done." Yami said with a smile, standing and ruffling his son's hair.

"So you guys want to go to the park or something?" Ryou asked, gripping Yugi's ankles to steady the child as he got comfortable.

Yugi nodded furiously and then contented himself playing with Ryou's snowy hair. The brown-eyed boy chuckled slightly, titling his head as Yugi tugged accidentally.

Yami nodded. "Sounds like fun, let me go get our shoes."

Yugi bounced on Ryou's shoulders, and then grabbed at Bakura's hair as he came too close. The spirit let out a yelp as Yugi managed to get a lock of white hair.

Ryou shook the child gently. "Don't do that Yugi."

Blinking, Yugi released Bakura's hair. "Sorry." Even though Yugi had the mind of a grown man, his child-like self sometimes took over and he acted like a two-year-old.

As Yami came back into the room Yugi held out his arms, making a soft cooing sound. Yami lifted his son and settled him on his hip, going to the kitchen table and setting Yugi on the chair. After helping the child put on his shoes his sat and pulled on his own.

Settling Yugi on his shoulders, Yami smiled at his friends. "Alright, let's go."

Yugi touched the doorframe as they went out, and then turned. "Bye, Pa!"

Sugoroku smiled, waving. "Bye, Yugi, have fun!"

"We'll be back by dinner, Grandpa!" Yami called, pulling the door shut behind him.

Yugi giggled happily, tangling his fingers in Yami's thick hair and bouncing in excitement. Yami chuckled, carefully holding onto Yugi's ankles to steady him.

The group talked and laughed while they walked, the sunny day raising their spirits. Bakura and Ryou walked hand in hand, a happy smile on the gentler boy's face. Joey went behind Yami, tickling Yugi at times, playing games with the child.

As they reached the park Yugi struggled to be let down, running to the sand as soon as Yami set him down. Keeping a watchful eye on Yugi, Yami sat down with his friends and enjoyed a good talk.

It had been some time since Yami had just sat with his friends and talked. The last few months had been occupied with adjusting to Yugi living in the house. The gang had visited, but with school starting, they hadn't been able to come very often.

There was a sudden scream, and Yami was up and running before the sound even faded. All the others rose to their feet, worry on all of their faces.

Yami found Yugi sitting on the sand, holidng his leg and crying. The spirit swallowed his heart, kneeling by the wailing child. "What is it, Yugi?"

Yugi moved his hands to reveal a spot of red skin, sniffling. "Slide."

Understanding dawned, and Yami smiled gently. "Slide burn, huh?" he planted a kiss on Yugi's forehead. "Do you want to go home?"

Yugi shook his head, scrubbing at his face with the back of a small hand. "No."

Yami hugged the child gently. "Alright. Go on, go play."

As Yugi trotted off Yami stood, sighing in relief. That had scared him; he had though Yugi had been harmed. He went back to his friends, sitting with them.

From the shadows, a figure slinked away, his chance lost.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Dad. Dad. Come on, Dad, you said you'd take me to the arcade today!"

Yami groaned, rolling over in his bed and pulling the blanket over his head. "G'way, Yugi…"

"Dad!" Yugi groaned, pulling at the blanket. "I'm not gonna let you sleep all day!"

Yami rolled his eyes, but he was fully awake now. There was no point in trying to sleep. "Fine, fine. I'm up."

Sitting up, the ex-Pharaoh stretched out his limbs, popping his back. He pushed the blanket off, swinging his legs to the edge and standing.

Yugi folded his arms, a pout on his face. "We're already late, all cause you wouldn't get up. I'll be the other's are waiting."

Yami chuckled as he pulled out some clean clothes, ruffling the ten-year-old's hair as he walked past him on the way out of the room. "They can wait."

Yugi scoffed, but trotted out of the room and down the hall. He passed by Sugoroku's closed door and into the kitchen, picking up his glass of juice and taking a few swallows.

Yami came in carrying his shoes, pulling them on with a yawn.

Yugi laughed. "Maybe you really are getting old," he teased. "You sure sleep enough."

Yami glared playfully at the boy. "I'm not old. Thirty isn't old. Besides, the Puzzle elongates my lifespan. I've only aged about two years in body."

"See, now that's not fair." Yugi muttered, following the older out of the shop.

Yami chuckled, and then looked to the side at his son. "Was Grandpa awake?"

Yugi shook his head. "His door was still shut." The boy laced his fingers together behind his head. "He needs the sleep, he was up late last night."

Yami frowned. "I wonder why…"

"Hey! Yami, Yugi! Over here!"

Yugi grinned. "Ry!" He tackled the white-haired boy, nearly knocking him off his feet. Yugi clambered up onto Ryou's back as soon as he released him, making himself comfortable and putting his chin against the hikari's shoulder.

Yami chuckled, watching as Bakura grumbled. He had been walking with an arm around Ryou's waist, but Yugi's actions had forced him to let go.

"Don't say those words, Kura. There's a child present." Yugi said smugly, a grin on his face.

Bakura rolled his eyes. "You don't count."

Yami hit the thief over the head, his crimson eyes glaring. "He may be a man in mind, but I would rather he not start speaking like that, and he is still a child, and my son."

Bakura grumbled again, rubbing at his head. "Geez, overprotective Pharaoh…"

Ryou shifted Yugi higher onto his back as the boy started to slip slightly. "Come on guys, the others are waiting for us."

Yami stuffed his hands in his pockets, walking by Ryou, Bakura on the hikari's other side. Yugi started swinging his feet back and forth, resting his head against Ryou's. "Hey Ry?"

"Yes, Yugi?"

"Why did you cut your hair?" Yugi asked, leaning back from Ryou to examine the snowy white hair.

Ryou blinked. "I'm surprised you noticed. I only cut off about an inch. I had split ends, and if you cut it every now and then it'll grow a little faster."

"Oh."

Ryou giggled slightly, looking sideways at his boyfriend. "Bakura needs a haircut too, but he wouldn't let me."

Bakura started muttering, and Yugi laughed as he heard something that sounded vaguely like 'demon scissors.'

Yami laughed as well, and then looked to see Joey, Seto, Mokuba, and Tea in front of the arcade. The ex-Pharaoh blinked as Tea ran up to him, throwing her arms around his neck, laughing happily. "Yami, he finally did it!"

"Huh?"  
Yugi grinned, jumping off of Ryou's back to tackle her. "Congrats, Tea! When?"

The woman grinned. "Last night. He took me out to a fancy restaurant and the ring was on my dessert!"

Yami finally seemed to figure it out. "Wait, ring?"

Tea rolled her eyes. "You dunce, Duke asked me to marry him!"

Yami felt his cheeks redden. "Oh… Congratulations, Tea."

The woman laughed. "Thanks Yami."

Yugi started pulling on his father's hand. "Come on, Dad, I want to go in and play!"

Yami chuckled. "Alright, alright, we're going!"

* * *

As Yami went up to the game shop he got the feeling that something was wrong. He jiggled the handle, finding it locked. 'Strange…' 

He unlocked the door, pushing it open. "Grandpa?"

Yugi, who was standing beside the ex-Pharaoh, whimpered, reaching up and wrapping his hand around Yami's. "Dad, I'm scared.

Yami squeezed his son's hand gently. "I know, sweetheart, don't worry, I'm here…"

He led Yugi upstairs cautiously, seeing that Sugoroku's door was still closed. HE frowned, releasing Yugi's hand and pushing the door open. "Grandpa?"

There was no response.

"Stay here, Yugi." Yami commanded softly, going into the room and inspecting the body on the bed.

Sugoroku's face was peaceful, and he was lying on his back. Yami carefully checked for a pulse, but found none.

Tears filled his eyes, falling down his tan cheeks as he turned and went to Yugi, closing the door behind him.

Yami went to his knees, wrapping Yugi tightly in his grasp. They cried together, Yugi clenching his small hands in Yami's shirt.

"Daddy…"

"I'm here, sweetie, I'm here…"

* * *

Yugi and Yami stood in front of the tombstone, both sniffling slightly. Joey put a hand on the spirit's shoulders, tears on his own face. "At least he went peacefully in his sleep." 

Yami nodded slightly, tightening his grip on Yugi's hand. The child raised his other hand to his father, and Yami knelt, lifting Yugi and holding him tightly.

Yugi wrapped his arms around Yami's neck, pressing his tear-wet face against the spirit's throat. Yami swallowed a sob, closing his eyes as he held his son. "It'll be okay… I promise, I'll take care of you…."

"Yami?"

Yami opened his eyes, meeting Seto's sapphire ones. "Yes?"

"I can give you a job at KaibaCorp so you can get the bills paid." the CEO offered, extending a hand to the other. "We could use someone with your knowledge of Duel Monsters at KaibaLand."

Yami swallowed, and then nodded, shaking Seto's hand while carefully holding Yugi up against his chest. "Thank you so much Kaiba."

* * *

I KILLED GRANDPA!!! -cries- I"m so sorry, but he was old... It was just a good time for him to pass on in the story, I couldn't just keep putting it off!! -cries- Hope you still liked it!! 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Yugi? Are you okay?"

The 11 year old looked up from his 1000 piece puzzle, meeting Ryou's doe-brown eyes. "Yea, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Tilting his head, Ryou frowned slightly. "You just seem awfully quiet."

The boy smiled slightly. "I guess I just miss Dad. I got so used to having him constantly around the house, so now it seems… lonely without him."

Ryou nodded in understanding. Yami had just recently started full time at KaibaLand, so now he was missing most of the day. He had only been working part-time before, as Yugi had still been a little shaken by the passing of Sugoroku.

These past months had been difficult, dealing without having the elder in the shop. Yugi had cried often, and Yami, more times than not, had joined him. They had been left the shop, Yami was given Sugoroku's car, and the elder Moto had also had a savings account set aside for needy times.

Yugi's eleventh birthday had passed without much happiness. The tragedy had been too close, and father and son had spent most of the day on the couch in each other's arms, crying silently.

Even though Yugi was old enough (at least mentally) to be home alone, Yami, being the overprotective father/yami that he was, had called Ryou. The white-haired man had been happy to watch the boy, though Bakura had remained at home.

"It's kind of funny…" Yugi murmured, turning a puzzle piece over in his hands. "I hate that Yami is this protective. I mean, mentally, I'm a grown man. I don't need a babysitter."

The boy looked up at Ryou. "No offense."

Ryou smiled slightly. "None taken."

"But even though it's a little…smothering, I still love it. I can't really remember my own father, so this was like a second chance. And I'm loving it." Yugi said with a smile. "I guess I always looked at Yami as sort of a father or an older brother. Now he really is my Dad."

Ryou smiled. "Enjoy it Yugi, because it's something special. Don't forget, Yami is protective because he loves you very much. I know he would give anything for you, even his life, without as much as a second thought."

Yugi nodded. "I know Ryou. It's one reason I love him so much."

* * *

Yami sighed, rubbing at his temples as he climbed into his car. He really did appreciate the job Seto had given him, but it was tiring. He was in charge of a daily tutorial about dueling tactics, strategies, and cards, which sometimes included supervising and helping with mock duels.

Yami couldn't think of anything else he would rather be doing, but some days it got rather stressful. It had been a long week, and he was missing Yugi.

As he drove he listened to soft music, trying to calm his headache. He wanted to spend some time with his son before bed, and it wouldn't do him any good to have a headache.

The light turned green and Yami pressed in the gas, pulling out into the intersection. A second later he heard a horn, and looked to the side to see a car flying towards him.

There was the sound of breaking glass and tearing metal, then a flash of pain as everything went black.

* * *

Hikari Tama held tightly to her armrest in the ambulance as they rushed through the streets. They had been called to the scene of a car crash, where a car had been T-boned by a driver that ran a red light.

The screeching tires frightened the woman. This was her second time on duty at the hospital, the first time in the ambulance. She was terrified.

"Alright, we've got to do this fast. According to eyewitnesses this crash is bad." said the driver, a man by the name of Shinji.

The ambulance stopped, and then HIkari leapt from the vehicle. What she saw was horrible.

The car that had been hit was almost folded in half, the windows shattered and the body broken. The firemen called to the scene were just cutting away the door so they could get to the driver.

They carefully pulled away the door, and, remembering her job, Hikari moved forward. She found a young man lying there in the seat, slumped over the shifter. She lifted his shoulders carefully, gasping as he saw the blood coating his throat, dripping from a slice across the side of his neck. The woman swallowed thickly. He didn't look like he was breathing.

She reached forward to look for a pulse, her hand shaking.

"Huuuhhh!"

Hikari jumped back in shock as the man took a huge breath, his eyes snapping open, the orbs a bloody crimson. He stared through her for a moment, and then his body fell limp, though he continued to breathe.

"Hikari?"

She turned, her heart pounding in her throat. "He's alive."

* * *

Yugi was watching TV when the preview for the 5:00 news came on.

"Tonight at 5, a car crash that leaves one dead and another in ICU. Also…"

Yugi heard no more. The image on the screen was of the crash, and his glass slipped from his fingers to shatter on the coffee table.

That was his father's car.

* * *

"Mr. Bakura?"

Ryou raised his head, not releasing his hold on Yugi, who was crying in his lap. "That's me."

"We have a new report on Mr. Moto's condition." The doctor was Kali, who had been informed on this because she had taken care of Yami during the pregnancy.

Yugi raised his face, teary violet eyes going to Kali's face.

"He's alive. He's weak, and he has lost a lot of blood, but he lives. Two upper ribs are broken on the right side, no doubt from the impact throwing him against the shifter. Glass hit him in many places; one got him in the throat. It nearly killed him, but by a miracle it missed his jugular by about a centimeter. His feet are both broken in several places; the car's folding crushed the area beneath the steering wheel. Other than that there's some head trauma and bruises," the doctor finished.

Yugi sobbed softly. "Can I see my Dad?"

Kali nodded. "Of course you can, dear." She reached out, offering her hand. "Come on, I'll take you to him."

Yugi wrapped his fingers around hers, wiping at his face with the back of his hand. He was scared; he had never expected this to happen.

He started crying again when he saw Yami. The ex-Pharaoh's lovely tanned skin was a pasty white, bloodstained bandages around his throat, chest, arms, and head. There was a mask helping him to breathe, and an IV and blood drip in his arms.

Yugi gently reached forward, putting his hand on his father's. "When will he wake up?"

Kali opened her mouth to answer, but a flat-line pierced the air. Yugi cried out. "Daddy, no!"

Kali started towards Yami, her hands working frantically to get Yami breathing again. Yugi sobbed, clutching his father's hand. "Daddy, please, please don't leave me, Daddy!" He felt tears soaking his face, and then Yami's heart stuttered.

Kali blinked, and then Yami sucked in a deep breath, his hand clenching around Yugi's as his heart started beating again.

Yami opened his eyes slowly, meeting Yugi's eyes, and smiled shakily. His voice was soft. "Pa says hi…"

* * *

Yugi was crying silently in the corner, his hands clenched in a blanket that one of the kinder nurses had given him when she saw him shivering. He had taken it with a small smile, though he hadn't said anything.

The doctors had deduced that Yami's heart had stopped for a moment because he had lost so much blood, but as time had gone on he had gotten better, and now he was in a stable condition.

Yugi shifted in his seat, and then stood and went to the bed, touching his father's hand. "Daddy… Please, wake up… I miss you…"

There was no response, only the soft beeping of the heart monitor and the sounds of the oxygen machine. Yugi sighed, pulling the chair over and wrapping the blanket around himself. Even into the late hours of the night, which the hospital had thankfully allowed him to stay as Yami was his last family member, he couldn't sleep.

After about an hour Yugi was still awake, and he shifted in the chair, sighing.

"Yugi?"

The boy flinched slightly, and then looked up to see his father's crimson eyes. "Daddy?"

"Can't sleep, sweetheart?" Yami said gently, a small smile on his face as he stroked his son's face.

Yugi shook his head. "No. I'm too worked up."

Yami scooted over slowly to the left, at which Yugi made a soft sound of worry, but Yami shook his head, lifting the blankets. "Just be careful of my chest and you can sleep with me."

Yugi carefully cuddled up to his father, laying his head on Yami's left shoulder. The man made no sound of pain, so the boy relaxed. "Daddy, will you sing to me like you used to?"

Yami nuzzled his son's hair, kissing his forehead gently. "Of course I will, sweetheart."

_My precious one, my tiny one  
Lay down your pretty head  
My dearest one, my sleepy one  
It's time to go to bed  
My precious one, my darling one  
Don't let your lashes weep  
My cherished one, my weary one  
It's time to go to sleep _

Just bow your head  
And give your cares to me  
Just close your eyes  
And fall into the sweetest dream  
Cuz in my loving arms  
You're safe as you will ever be  
So hush my dear and sleep

And in your dreams  
You'll ride on angels' wings  
Dance with the stars  
And touch the face of God  
And if you should awake  
My precious one, my tiny one  
I'll kiss your little cheek  
And underneath the smiling moon  
I'll sing you back to sleep

Yami looked down, smiling as he saw Yugi sleeping soundly against his side. This lullaby had been Yugi's since he was still in the womb; Yami had sung it to him often. It never failed to put him to sleep.

Yami settled his head against Yugi's again, and then joined his son in sleep.

* * *

The song in this chapter belongs to Celine Dion, and I thought it was fitting for Yami and Yugi. Hope you enjoyed it! 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Yugi, you ready to go yet?" Yami called up the stairs, leaning on the railing. "We promised Joey and Seto we'd meet them!"

"Just getting my shoes, Dad, be right down!"

Yami chuckled, shaking his head slightly. He moved away from the stairs, walking with a slight limp as he did.

That accident four years ago had changed him permanently, leaving him with a limp that would probably never go away. The ex-Pharaoh had almost recovered his graceful floating walk, but there would never be the same smooth quality it had once had.

Yugi came racing down the stairs two at a time, wearing his trademark leather pants, black tank, and spikes and straps. Now at nearly 16, the boy had gone back to his old style, while Yami had drifted away into comfortable blue jeans and tanks.

However, both always had their copy of the Puzzle, and the trademark leather collar.

"You take almost as long as a girl." Yami teased, ruffling the boy's hair.

Yugi grinned good-naturedly. "So do you. You just 'happened' to forget to wake me up." He made the quote motions with his fingers.

Yami laughed. "Maybe I did." He searched his pocket for the key, but as the door shut, he found he didn't have it. "Damnit, left them inside again!"

Yugi let loose a giggle, but then the keys appeared in Yami's hand as he snapped his fingers. "What the…?.!"

Yami grinned. "Shadow Powers! Gotta love them! Wow, though, it has been some time since I used them."

Yugi nodded. "I can't remember any times you used them."

Yami laughed. "I used to use them to keep your rocker going when you were sleeping. It, besides my singing, was the only way to get you to sleep all night."

Yugi blinked. "Geez, I haven't heard you sing in years either. Since… since you nearly died in that crash." The boy looked down, a sad look creeping onto his face.

Yami stopped, wrapping his arms around his son. "Oh Yugi, please don't cry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

Yugi shook his head, returning the embrace. "It's not your fault."

The two held each other for a moment, and then started walking down the street again. Yugi looked over at his yami/father, examining him. Though Yami was nearly 35, he didn't look a day over 20. He still had the same strong body and he was still incredibly handsome. Yugi had often seen him getting stares, and they had been mistaken for brothers before.

Even so, Yami had a wise and powerful mind. He was a genius, thought quickly and precisely, and could almost always think of the right thing to say. It made him an object of admiration at Kaiba's Duel Academy, where he was a professor on card history, knowledge, and various uses, as well as deck building and forming strategies against certain cards and card combinations.

Yami loved his job, and as soon as Yugi hit 16, KaibaCorp would hire Yugi to work with his father, helping him teach the class, and sometimes hold duels to get people interested and give the class a treat.

Yugi couldn't wait.

He was pulled abruptly from his thoughts as an arm wrapped around his throat from behind, nearly pulling him over backwards. He let out a cry, to which Yami instantly reacted. He grabbed for his son, but missed.

Yugi was pulled into a dark alley, and started to struggle when he felt the needle point of a dagger against his throat. "Don't move, brat."

With a whimper the boy went still, his eyes locked with Yami's crimson orbs.

"Now then, Pharaoh, what shall you do this time?" a voice sneered from behind Yugi, and he whimpered, instantly recognizing the voice.

//It's that man… That man that started all of this…// Yugi whispered in his mind to Yami.

Yami's eyes instantly grew angry and narrowed, his hands clenching into tight fists.

Yugi sniffled again, a single tear slipping down his cheek as he swallowed thickly, keeping perfectly still. He could see Yami standing in front of him, his fists clenched, his red eyes narrowed in anger. "Who are you? Why are you doing this to us? Didn't you get your fun from what you did last time?.!"

The man laughed. "Of course not. Nothing makes me happier than seeing you suffer. And for now, you may call me… Kaitou. Perhaps that will help you figure out who I am."

Yami blinked. "It… Wait, kaitou…" It suddenly clicked. "You're from the village of Kul Elna, aren't you?.!"

"Correct, very good. Perhaps you're not as stupid as you seemed to be." Kaitou grinned, looking towards Yugi. "As for this…"

Yugi could feel the cold kiss of the metal against the skin of his throat, and he knew that one small movement in the wrong direction would kill him.

He was terrified.

Yami clenched his teeth. "Let. Him. Go."

The knife trembled as Yugi's captor chuckled slightly. "In your dreams, Pharaoh. I want to make you suffer, and there are a few gentlemen here who would... quite enjoy this…" Hot breath ghosted over Yugi's cheek, causing the boy to shudder. "Little morsel. So I'm not letting him go. Not just yet."

Yami growled loudly. "Let him go! He's done nothing to you! Your fight is with me!"

One of the other men stepped forward, and Yami could see a slight glaze to his eyes, indicating that he had been put under a spell. "Hey, I've got an idea boss."

The knife pressed closer to Yugi's throat, at which the boy shuddered and let out a small whimper, the tears continuing to flow down his cheeks. Yami growled again, weighing the chances in his mind.

'I can't try to get to him… If I hit him wrong he could slit Yugi's throat… Hell, if he even falls wrong that knife could cause some serious damage. If I could use Mind Crush and then knock the knife away… But the others could go forward and try and hurt him… I can't use the Mind Crush that many times; I could get a backlash…' Yami frowned deeper.

Kaitou grinned, turning back to Yami. "That's a wonderful idea. We'll let the child go, Pharaoh, on one condition."

Yami's eyes narrowed, but he listened. "What is it?"

"You take his place."

Yugi's violet eyes widened, and the boy shook his head rapidly, tears in his eyes. "No Dad! Please, don't do it!" The knife pressed closer, cutting him off with a squeak of fear.

Yami sighed, closing his eyes. It was silent for a while, Yugi whimpering gently as he watched his dark with wide eyes. 'Don't do it… Don't do it Dad…'

"Yes…"

The group rushed forward, grabbing Yami's arms and twisting them behind his back. Yami stayed still, his face like stone as he watched Kaitou, who was still holding the knife to Yugi's throat. "Let my son go."

An evil grin spread across his face. "I didn't specify when I was going to let him go. You gave yourself for him, and now he has to watch what we were planning for him in the first place."

Yami let out a cry, beginning to struggle in the grasp of the group. A fist slammed into his stomach, his breath escaping with a sharp gasp. He doubled over, hanging in the grip of the men holding his arms. /Yugi…/

//Dad, please! Do something! Use your powers!! Get away from them!//

/They'll keep you, Yugi, I can't leave you!/

//YAMI, THEY'RE GOING TO RAPE YOU!// For the second time in his second life Yugi used his father's name, and Yami knew then that Yugi was terrified, and he narrowed his eyes, readying himself.

He came up as his breath returned to him, focusing the Shadows and glaring at the man that was now holding Yugi, having switched off with Kaitou. "Mind Crush!"

The man's eyes widened, and then he slumped over, dropping Yugi. The boy hit the ground at a run, moving towards Yami as fast as he could. Another man started towards Yugi, and with a cry Yami performed the Mind Crush once again. He could feel the strain, and he knew that he couldn't do it many more times, the results could be disastrous.

/Please Yugi, run! I'll be fine, I promise!/

//I won't leave you!//

Yami heard the click of a gun, and with a sharp cry he spun, targeting the gun holder and performing yet another Mind Crush. By now the spirit had a roaring headache, his mind pounding as he slumped in the grasp of the final man holding him up. By now he could have easily broke away, but the use of his Shadows was draining him seriously. He could hardly stand.

Yugi's piercing scream cut the air as a knife sliced through the air towards him. Yami looked up, and did the only thing he could.

Mind Crush.

* * *

Yugi watched as Kaitou dropped, obviously done by Yami's powers. As the villain dropped out of his vision Yugi let out a cry. Yami was lying limply on the ground, underneath the groaning form of one of the men. 

Yugi ran forward, shoving the larger person off of his father, pulling Yami's head off the ground and smoothing his hair from his face. "Dad! Dad, please, speak to me!"

There was no response. Yami's face was still, dark shadows under his eyes, sweat all along his forehead, and his breathing labored and quick. Yugi petted the spirit's forehead, tears gathering in his eyes and flowing down his face.

Yugi pulled off his jacket, rolling it up and putting it under Yami's head. "I'll be right back, Dad, I'm going to go get help."

Yugi didn't even stop to look back, he ran from the alley, not bothering to stop the tears flowing down his cheeks. "Please! Someone help! Please, help me!"

* * *

Oooo... I hope you enjoyed it, please review! 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Yugi awoke with a start, sitting up in the dark room. The beeping of the heart monitor reminded him of the situation, and he sighed deeply, leaning forward so he could look at Yami's rather pale face.

He was terrified, because he had never seen his father hurt because of his Shadow Powers. Yami was still breathing rather heavily, the shadows still present under his eyes and a fine sheen of sweat over his features. Yugi gently wiped at Yami's forehead, sighing worriedly as Yami's breathing hitched slightly.

Yami's eyelids flickered, and then crimson eyes slid open, meeting Yugi's lavender orbs. Yugi smiled widely, reaching out and touching Yami's hand. "Dad, you're awake, how are you feeling?"

Yami blinked, looking at Yugi with a confused look on his face. "Who… who are you?"

Yugi's eyes widened. "W-What?.! Dad, what are you talking about?.!"

Yami blinked again, and then a smile spread across his face, a rather big cheesy one, confusing Yugi. Yami giggled rather childishly. "Are you my brother?"

Yugi raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Yami waved, giggling again. "Hi! I'm Atem!"

Yugi frowned. "D-Atem, how old are you?"

"I'm five!"

* * *

Yugi just stared. His heart felt like it had been torn out, his legs were weak. His knees gave out, sending him to the floor.

'Again… I've lost Yami again… I lost my father again…' the boy clenched his teeth, his hands curling into fists. 'Why?.! What did I do to deserve this?.!'

"Hey."

A hand pushed at his shoulder, and Yugi looked up into Yami's crimson eyes. The ex-Pharaoh tilted his head, his eyes worried. "You okay?"

Yugi breathed for a moment. "Y-Yea. Yea, I'm okay. How are you D-Atem?"

A tanned hand pressed against Atem's temple. "My head hurts." He focused back on Yugi's face. "Who are you?"

Yugi bit his lip. "I'm… I'm Yugi."

Atem smiled. "Hi!" He rose to his feet, and then swayed slightly. Yugi gasped faintly, jumping up and supporting his father.

With a moan Atem leaned heavily against the shorter, his body trembling. Yugi helped him lay down, sighing slightly. "You shouldn't be standing D-Atem." Yugi gritted his teeth. It was going to be hard to adjust to that…

The boy started to turn, going towards the door to call Joey, Seto, and their other friends, but a hand grabbed his wrist.

Yugi gasped faintly, whirling around and meeting his father's eyes. Atem was losing consiousness, but he met Yugi's eyes. "Please… don't leave…"

Tears filled Yugi's eyes. He turned, holding Atem's hand gently. "I won't. I'll take care of you. I promise."

* * *

Yugi awoke to hear soft cries and sobs. Blinking, he sat up, looking towards the hospital bed in the center of the room.

He could see a form that was curled into a ball, shaking slightly. He stood, walking forward and pulling the blanket back.

Wide crimson eyes locked with his, and a moment later he found himself with an armful of Atem. "Where did you go?.!" he wailed, burying his face in Yugi's chest. "You said you wouldn't leave!"

Confused, Yugi wrapped his arms around Atem, petting his hair gently. "I didn't leave, Atem. I was here the whole time. I promised I wouldn't leave, and I'll keep my promise."

Atem whimpered, his hands wrapping in Yugi's shirt as he nuzzled his wet face against the boy's chest. "Stay?"

Yugi choked back tears, nodding as he put his chin on Atem's hair. "Of course. I will _always _be here for you."

* * *

Yugi didn't bother trying to stem his tears as he rocked back and forth in the rocking chair in the corner of the living room. He simply kept the motion going, his arms around Atem's shoulders, his chin against the soft hair.

Atem whimpered softly in his sleep, clutching tighter to Yugi's shirt. The boy swallowed thickly, pressing a kiss to the cool forehead. "Shh… It's okay, I'm here…"

Only two days since they had returned from the hospital and Atem was having nightmares. Yugi found himself having to take over as parent when Atem came to him in the night, crying and afraid.

Yugi would have laughed at the irony if not for his tears. First Yugi, the mind of a man trapped in a child, had forced Yami to become a father to him. And now Yugi would have to be a father for Atem, the mind of a five-year-old child in a man's body.

At first Yugi had been awkward and shy, a little confused at what to do with this child. But Atem had taken over for him, bluntly showing Yugi what he wanted with body language. Yugi then remembered his own childhood, and used that to comfort Atem.

Some part of him was glad that Atem hadn't grown as he'd aged. Thanks to that the spirit was small enough that Yugi could hold him in his lap without too much discomfort.

As Atem whimpered again Yugi patted his back gently, humming softly. He could feel Atem's tear-wet face pressed against his throat, and those warm arms pressed closer to him, Atem curling into his embrace.

'I'll keep my promise…' Yugi thought firmly, squeezing Atem gently. 'I'll take care of you….'

* * *

And the plot goes TWIST!! I am going to have a lot of fun with this, just like I did with MLA! Hope you enjoyed it, please review! 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Weird, usually Yug's got the shop open by now…" Joey murmured, ringing the rarely used doorbell. By now he was very worried, as were the rest of the gang. Seto, Ryou, Bakura, Joey, and Tea stood outside the door, all of them worried and a little nervous.

Three days ago, when Yami had said he was going with Yugi to meet Seto and Joey, they had never showed up. The next day Joey had never showed up. The next day Joey had gotten a call from Yugi, saying that they were sorry they didn't come and that he'd call later.

Just this morning he'd called again, saying that he wanted the whole group to come by for some reason he hadn't revealed. This left all of them a little jittery, except Bakura, of course.

The door opened at that moment, showing a tired looking Yugi. He smiled faintly. "Come on in, but be quiet, please, Atem is still sleeping."

Tea blinked. 'Atem? I haven't heard that since the Ceremonial Battle…'

Almost as soon as Yugi closed the door behind him there was a rather high-pitched scream from upstairs, causing Yugi to wince. "Scratch that. I'll be right back."

All of them went up the stairs after Yugi, sitting on the couch to wait. Yugi came back a moment later leading a pajama-clad Yami by the hand. Yami had tears on his face, and was rubbing rather childishly at his eyes.

"Atem, these are my friends. This is Bakura, Ryou, Tea, Joey, and Seto." Yugi said in a gentle voice, pointing to each as he said their names.

Atem waved with a shy smile, but blinked when he saw Seto. He stared at the CEO for a moment, and then giggled happily. "Set!" All watched in shock as Atem bounded over, sitting in Seto's lap. The brunette stiffened as Atem examined him. "How'd you get so big?"

The spirit seemed to dismiss this mystery, leaned against Seto's chest, and promptly fell asleep. Seto sat rigidly, but didn't push Atem off.

Joey managed to pick his jaw up from the floor at this point. "Okay, now I've seen it all. What the heck is happenin' here, Yug'?"

Yugi sat in a chair, rubbing tiredly at his temples. "Well, there was an accident three days ago. While we were coming to meet you, Joey, we were attacked. It was that man who changed me, and he had a bunch of lackeys." He gestured to Atem. "He tried to protect me, of course, but that required the use of his shadow powers."

Understanding dawned on Bakura. "How many times did he use the Mind Crush?"

"Four or five, I think." Yugi replied.

Bakura nodded. "He got a backlash."

Yugi sighed. "He's reverted back to childhood. He now thinks that he is five years old. He recognizes me to some extent, but he didn't know me." Yugi smiled at Seto. "Sorry. He seems to know you as Set from Egypt."

Seto shook his head. "It's alright. I understand the situation."

Yugi sighed. "Seto, I hate to ask you this, but can I get the job at KaibaLand now? Without Dad to do it, I could take over, or else we won't be able to keep the shop."

Seto frowned at that. "Yugi…"

"Seto, please! I made him a promise! A promise that I'd take care of him no matter what!" Yugi pleaded. "There's only a week until I turn 16, please!"

Seto sighed. "Well… there is only a week, and you're more than qualified. Alright. You start Monday."

Yugi relaxed in relief. "Thank you so much. Just one thing though, I'm going to have to bring Atem with me, he won't stay away from me for more than about an hour."

Seto nodded. "I figured as much. It's fine, the class will want to know if he's okay, anyway, he's just missed three days and he's never missed one before."

Yugi heaved a sigh. "That'll be interesting to explain…"

* * *

Yugi swallowed thickly, watching as the class settled down in their seats. Atem was in the office playing with Ryou, but Yugi knew that before long Atem would start to wonder about his new 'big brother.'

"Hello, class." Yugi said nervously. "I know that my father told you about me…"

"Yea, he did." said a small red-headed girl named Saya. "But he said you weren't coming until next week. Where is Moto-sensei, anyway?"

Yugi smiled at that. He knew that Yami had insisted they call him by name, but Saya was a very proper girl, at least by what Yami had told him of the class. "You'll see him in a minute, but first I need to explain something."

Yugi ran a hand through his golden bangs. "This week on Wednesday, my father and I got into an accident. We were attacked by a gang, and Dad was hit pretty hard on the head."

There were some collective gasps around the room, and a kind girl that Yugi could remember from Yami's stories, her name was Riza, stood slightly. "How is he, Moto-san?"

"Please, just call me Yugi. My father was not physically wounded other than some bruises, however, that hit caused some… problems." Yugi nibbled on his lip. "He now believes himself to be five years old. He hardly knows me; he thinks I'm his big brother."

"Oh, that's awful…" Saya murmured, her sentiments echoed by everyone else in the room.

"He goes by Atem, which was his childhood name when he was raised in Egypt." Yugi said.

About that time Ryou poked his head out of the office. "Hey, I think he's going to go crazy in here!"

Yugi chuckled. "He can come out now."

Atem bounced out a moment later to tackle Yugi, giggling happily. "Brother, Brother!"

Yugi smiled, hugging the spirit gently. "Hey Atem, I'm proud of you for being so good."

Atem puffed out his chest proudly, and then seemed to realize that there were a lot of people in the room. He got very quiet, hiding behind Yugi as best he could and watching everyone with large, curious crimson eyes.

Yugi smiled again, taking Atem's hand gently and moving forward. "Don't be shy. These people will be your friends. Can you say hi to them?"

Atem blushed faintly. "H-Hi…"

There were soft replies, and then Yugi started the class, picking up where his father left off. Atem sat quietly by him, watching him as he showed cards to the class and told about them.

It wasn't until nearly the end of class that Atem made himself known. He grabbed a card from Yugi's hand. Yugi blinked, and then Atem giggled, pointing to the card.

"Mahad."

Yugi blinked. "What?"

"Mahad." Atem repeated, showing him the card.

Yugi gasped faintly as he saw the card.

It was Dark Magician.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"You what?"

Yugi smiled happily. "I think it's not permanent! Today in class he grabbed a card from me and said 'Mahad.' The card was Dark Magician! That connection could only have been made after Mahad became that creature!"

Seto nodded. "And that happened when Atem was nearly 18."

Yugi nodded fiercely. "Exactly! So memories were leaking through, it's possible that this could wear off!"

"True. This is good new, Yugi." Seto said, a small smile on his face as he leaned back in his chair.

Yugi looked to where Atem was sitting on the floor, carefully sifting through Yugi's deck. He smiled at some cards, and when he came to the Dark Magician he touched the picture gently. "Mahad…"

As he came to the Dark Magician Girl he smiled, giggling happily. "Mana!"

"See?.!" Yugi said excitedly. "He did it again!"

"By my understanding Mana was a childhood friend. We have no idea how young they were." Seto pointed out.

Yugi wilted. "Oh… Right…"

Atem took this opportunity to glomp Yugi, noticing that the boy was sad. "Brother!"

Yugi squealed in shock as they both tumbled to the ground, Atem giggling happily from his position on Yugi's stomach. Yugi groaned. "Get off, Atem!"

The man-gone-child rolled off reluctantly, watching Yugi with large crimson name. "Yes Atem?"

"Don't be sad. I don't like it when you're sad." Atem murmured, rolling over onto his stomach and resting his chin on his folded arms.

Yugi blinked, and then smiled warmly. "Okay Atem. I'll try to be happy for you."

Atem smiled. "Good!"

* * *

Yugi awoke to find Atem curled against his side, his thumb against his lips as though he'd had it in his mouth at some point, dried tears on his cheeks.

Yugi frowned, sitting up and examining his father. Atem was shaking slightly in his sleep, his breathing a little shaky. His nose sounded a little stuffy even, and it was easy to see that he'd spent some time crying.

This confused Yugi. Atem's nightmares had stopped a few nights ago, and Yugi had always either woke on his own or been shaken awake. Why would Atem not wake him?

Yugi pushed to cover off himself, getting ready to stand, but Atem whimpered softly in his sleep, murmuring something. Yugi leaned closer to hear.

"Aibou…"

Yugi grinned happily at that. It was obvious that memories were leaking through, slowly but surely. As Atem whimpered again the boy reached out, shaking his shoulder. "Atem, wake up!"

Crimson eyes flashed open, and then Yugi had an armful of a sobbing Atem. "They took you, they took you!"

Yugi blinked, slightly confused. "Who took me?"

"The green light, it took you from me!" Atem cried out, clutching to Yugi as though he would be stolen away right now.

Understanding filled Yugi. Atem had been dreaming of when the Oricalcos had taken his soul, leaving the ex-Pharaoh to search for him. Yugi gently patted Atem's back. "It's alright, it was only a dream. I promised that I wouldn't leave you."

"Pinky swear?" Atem asked meekly, raising one outstretched pinky.

Yugi smiled gently, remembering when he had taught Yami this trick not long before the Battle City Finals. "Yea. Pinky swear."

* * *

"Brother, where's Slifer?"

Yugi jumped, looking up from his book. Atem was on the floor in front of him, looking through his deck again. At the moment his vermillion eyes were on Yugi, though, wondering.

Yugi swallowed. "What?"

"Where's Slifer?" Atem repeated.

Yugi smiled. More memories. "Come on, I'll show you."

Yugi led the way to the living room, pointing to the three picture frames above the couch. All three Egyptian Gods were there. The Winged Dragon of Ra in the center. Slifer on its right and Obelisk on its left. Yugi, along with Yami, had decided to put them there around Yugi's second 7th birthday. They were only to be brought out on special occasions, such as when Yugi and Yami dueled. After all, they were Yami's favorite monsters.

"See? We put them here so they'd be safe all the time." Yugi said, pointing.

"Oh… okay!" Atem chirped happily.

* * *

"Come on, Atem. I need you to stay with me or we'll go home!" Yugi said sharply, a frown on his soft features.

Atem skipped back to his side, though he seemed a little down trodden from Yugi's scolding. "Sorry!"

"Just stay with me. I don't want you getting hit by a car." Yugi said, softening his voice slightly.

Atem nodded, grabbing Yugi's hand. "Kay!"

Ryou nodded. "Makes me wish we could keep him this way, sometimes. But I miss the old Yami."

Bakura snorted. "Even I miss that egotistical idiot Pharaoh."

"Bakura, please, not around Hikaru." Ryou said crossly, jerking his chin towards the tiny boy in his arms. Not long ago Ryou had decided he wanted a child, and had convinced Bakura to let him adopt. About a month before Yami's accident they had been approved, and had gotten little Hikaru. The boy had white hair (surprisingly) and large pretty blue eyes. He was still adjusting, but the little four-year old seemed to be attached to Ryou already.

All Yugi had to say about the whole thing was who knew Bakura could be a father, let alone the _good _one he was turning out to be?.!

"Atem, what did I tell you?" Yugi called.

"S-"

There was a scream. "Get out of the road!"

Yugi's world shattered as Atem let out a thin scream as a car collided with his body, sending him flying. "NO!"

Yugi would swear later that he had literally heard Atem's head hit the pavement. There was a dull crack, along with the sickening sound of a body hitting asphalt. Yugi ran forward, ignoring the pale young woman climbing out of the car, terror on her face.

He quickly lifted Atem's head from the road, crying as he felt the wetness of blood through Atem's thick hair. "Atem, can you hear me?.! Please, open your eyes!"

Exhausted titan eyes met Yugi's, pain, fear, and sleepiness in their depths. Atem gasped faintly for breath, his hand clenching on Yugi's sleeve. "B-Bro-ther…"

"What did I tell you…" Yugi sobbed, holding the trembling hand tightly.

"Y-Yugi… I'm… I'm so… tired…" Atem murmured, letting his head rest against Yugi's shoulder.

"NO!" Yugi screamed, shaking Atem's shoulders. "Don't go to sleep!"

Atem's eyelids drooped even more. "Tired…"

"Don't close your eyes…" Yugi wailed, tears flowing down his cheeks to splatter on Atem's face. "Stay awake… Don't go…"

"I'm sorry… I should have listened to you… _s-son_..."

Atem went limp.

Yugi's eyes widened. "D-Dad?" He shook Atem. "Dad?.! Daddy! **_DADDY_**!"

* * *

Do not worry my lovely reviewers! Good things come out of bad things, I promise! I'll update as soon as I can, but just so everyone knows, I will be leaving on a trip on Wednesday of this week, and will not be returning until Sunday. I shall be writing fiercely while gone, don't worry! 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Yugi awoke with a start, his violet eyes flying open, his breathing heavy.

"Yugi, you're awake!"

Yugi looked to the side, meeting blue eyes. "Tea?" He blinked. "Duke? What happened? Where am I?"

"The hospital. Don't you remember?" Tea murmured, her eyes worried.

Yugi thought a moment and then it all rushed back, the impact, the crack on the pavement, Atem's last words. "Where's Dad?.! Why am I here?.!"

"A little bit after the ambulance arrived you sank into shock and passed out. You've been asleep for a day. Atem went into surgery about two hours ago." Duke explained quietly, his teal eyes dark with emotion.

"S-Surgery?" Yugi said, his voice shaking horribly, violet eyes wide.

"They said he's bleeding internally, and they also need to relieve some of the pressure on his brain. That hit… it really hurt him." Tea murmured, wringing her hands.

Yugi nibbled on his lower lip worriedly. He wanted to see his Dad, but knew that he couldn't. It wasn't helping his nerves at all.

There was a knock and Yugi looked up into Kali's gentle blue eyes. "Hey, how are you feeling Yugi?"

He smiled at her shakily. "Alright. Any news on my Dad?"

Kali shook her head. "He's still in the OR. I'm sure he's going to be just fine, though, don't worry."

Yugi nodded absently, trying his link with Yami. He got a flash of pain and bright light, and quickly cut the connection. He sighed. "I'd like to see him when he gets out."

Kali nodded. "I'll make sure you're the first one to see him."

"Thank you."

* * *

Yugi swallowed thickly, and then opened the door to Yami's ICU room. Kali was just behind him, her face blank.

His father was still on the bed, a breathing tube down his throat and a blood drip and IV in his arms. The monitors showed his heartbeat to be slow, brain activity nearly non-existent. He was frighteningly pale, his lips a faint grayish color.

"How is he?" Yugi whispered.

"He lost a lot of blood, as you can probably see. But the surgery worked." Kali paused, worry and sadness flashing across her face.

"He's so still…" Yugi murmured, rubbing his thumb over the back of Yami's hand.

"That's part of the bad news…" Kali said, biting her lip. Yugi looked to her, eyes wide and fearful. "Not too long ago it seems that Yami… slipped into a coma."

Yugi's heart stopped. "A coma?"

There was a soft sobbing sound from Tea, and Duke hugged her gently, Yugi took a deep shuddering breath, and then spoke again. "Will he be okay?"

Kali bit her lip. "We… We don't know. There's not a high chance he'll wake up." She put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

As she left the room Yugi finally allowed himself to cry, laying his head on Yami's bed, burying his head in his arms.

* * *

Joey sighed, running a hand through his golden bangs as he stopped in front of the door to Yami's hospital room. He looked in to see Yugi leaning against the bed, sound asleep.

Joey opened the door quietly, going in and sitting on the other side of Yami's bed. He was silent for a minute, and then he started whispering so he wouldn't wake Yugi.

"Hey Yami. I came by to see you, but I can't stay long." He paused. "You know, Yugi really needs you back. He's running himself into the ground, and we're all worried about him."

Yugi stirred, and then settled again. Joey smiled slightly. "It's a good thing he's sleeping. I don't think he has been in a while." Joey sighed at this point. "Five months, buddy. You missed Yugi's seventeenth birthday. You're going to miss your thirty-sixth if you're not careful."

It was quiet, the only sounds being the soft _whoosh _and _hiss _of the breathing machine and the beeping of the heart monitor. "I really wish you'd wake up Yami. We all miss you. We really don't want you to sleep forever."

Joey stood, moving towards the door. "I've got to go now. It's something special Seto's doing for me." Joey held out his hand, showing off a gold band on his left ring finger. "It's the two week anniversary of our engagement. Funny huh, rich boy asked me to marry him. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I've got to go."

As he opened the door he turned back. "Just so you know, we've agreed to wait to marry until you wake up and get well. So… hurry. If you could."

He didn't see Yami's eyelids flutter slightly before going still once more.

* * *

Yugi nibbled at his hamburger silently, his eyes on Yami. He still had seen no movement from his father, and after six months of waiting, he was starting to wonder.

His hope was fading, slowly but surely. He didn't know what else to do. He spent hours every day talking to Yami, telling him what was going on during his absence. They had replaced the breathing tube with a mask two days ago, so that was something.

Many times Yugi just broke down and pleaded with his father, asking him to come back, to open his eyes and wake up. But Yami never moved, and he never woke.

Yugi sighed, putting down his burger. He didn't really have much of an appetite anyway…

"A…"

Yugi's head snapped up. Nothing moved. He moved forward, grabbing his father's hand. "Dad? You there?"

"Aib-bou…"

Tears flooded Yugi's eyes. "Come on Dad, open your eyes, please! Come back to me!"

There was a flash of crimson, and then Yami's eyes slowly fluttered open. He looked towards Yugi, and then smiled gently, but weakly. "Hey son…"

Yugi wept.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Yugi stretched as he moved out of his bedroom, walking down the hall to his father's room. He knocked softly, and then pushed the door open when he heard a 'Come in.'

He found Yami sitting on the bed, reading his book quietly. Yugi smiled when he saw that Yami was fully dressed. "Are you legs agreeing with you today, Dad?"

Yami nodded with a smile. "Yes, but I'm not sure how much longer it will last. It was… rather difficult to keep my balance."

Yugi smiled sadly as he moved forward. This was the one side-effect from the coma and the mild brain damage from the head trauma more than a year ago. Yami had limited muscle control over his legs, and as such could not walk most days. On the days he could, he used a cane to help with his balance.

Yugi walked behind Yami as his father carefully walked to the door and down the hall, ready to help if needed. Just before he reached the stairs Yami's knees buckled, sending him back into Yugi's arms.

The 18 year old hoisted Yami into his arms bridal style, easily carrying him down the stairs. Yugi had gotten used to this, and as a result had a very strong frame and a small, but built muscular body.

Yami smiled up at the son as the boy placed him in his wheelchair at the base of the stairs. "Thank you, Yugi. Sorry I'm such a bother."

Yugi shook his head, running a hand over Yami's head and kissing his forehead. "You'll never be a bother Dad, I promise."

The two went through their day to day routines, and around nine there was a knock at the door. Yami wave a hand at Yugi as he started to get up, wheeling around the shops counter and opening the door, also switching the sign from closed to open.

Joey came inside, followed by Seto, Ryou, and Bakura. Yami was attacked a moment later by a tiny white-haired body. "Uncle 'Ami!"

Yami chuckled, hugging the little boy gently. "Hello Hikaru, how are you today?"

"Hyper." Bakura grumbled, gaining a giggle from his six year old son.

Hikaru bounced slightly in Yami's lap, and then Yugi lifted the boy as his father let out a groaning yelp, tears springing to his eyes. Yugi smiled slightly, settling Hikaru on his hip. "You okay, Dad?"

Yami opened his mouth, but all that escaped was a high-pitched squeak. He instantly snapped his mouth closed, his cheeks flaring red. Bakura burst out laughing, clutching his sides. "The Pharaoh got his jewels whacked!"

"Shut up!" Yami squeaked, covering his groin with both hands.

Yugi snorted, unable to hold it any longer. This earned him a glare from his father, which made him laugh harder. Hikaru thought it was all a game of some sort, so he laughed along with them, clapping his hands.

Tea giggled faintly, but shook his head. "No, no Hikaru, it's not nice to hurt others."

Hikaru frowned but nodded. Yugi set him down by Yami's wheelchair. "Go say you're sorry, Hika."

As Hikaru attempted to climb into his lap Yami quickly picked him up, not wanting to get injured again. Hikaru hugged him tightly. "Sorry Uncle 'Ami!"

Yami shook his head with a small smile, wrapping a muscular arm around the boy. "It's alright Hikaru. You can sit in my lap, but no standing."

Hikaru nodded, and then made himself comfortable on the man's lap, leaning against Yami's strong chest. Bakura grinned, ruffling Yami's strong chest. "He sure likes you Pharaoh, I just don't get it."

Yami stuck out his tongue at the thief, then screwing up his face in concentration, bouncing his knees to make Hikaru giggle.

Yugi grinned as he saw this. Yami might have little to no control of his legs, but his still managed to do the little things that would make Hikaru happy. Yugi saw it as Yami taking in Hikaru as a son or perhaps even a grandchild.

The group visited just like they had when they were teens, laughing about small things, talking about new things. Seto told them about some of the new developments in KaibaCorp, and eventually Yami brought up the subject of returning to work.

Seto seemed skeptical. "Yami you're still getting well. You were only just barely strong enough to get around on your own."

Yami shook his head. "I've been able to move well enough for a while. I just think I wasn't… ready to go back." He smiled. "Only recently I decided how much I missed Duel Monsters and teaching."

Seto shrugged. "Well, if you want to come back, then I see no problem with it. We could use you back."

Yami grinned. "Thanks Seto. I really appreciate it."

Yugi smiled. "Well, since I have to stay with my Dad…"

Seto nodded. "Of course. Both of you can come back."

Yugi set a hand on his father's shoulder. "Thanks Seto, we owe you one."

Ryou came forward, lifting Hikaru. The boy had fallen asleep in Yami's lap, his face pressed against the man's neck. Yami relinquished his little lap warmer with a smile, which Bakura returned. "He's had a long day…"

Yugi walked the group out, and then returned to his father's side. Yami chuckled slightly. "Being around him, it makes me miss you when you were a child."

Yugi laughed faintly. "You sure Dad?" The boy moved forward, sitting on the floor beside Yami's chair and laying his head on his father's knee. Yami ran his fingers through Yugi's hair, humming softly in the back of his throat.

"Of course I'm sure. But I'm still happy with you the way you are." Yami murmured. Yugi smiled, reaching up and lacing his fingers through Yami's.

"You know, I'm not really sure what we are anymore…" Yugi said. "First partners, then father and son, and then I had to be the Dad." He looked up. "So what do you think?"

Yami chuckled, squeezing Yugi's hand. "I don't know either, but it doesn't matter. I love you, and that's the only thing that matters."

Yugi nodded. "Yea…"

The two sat in silence for a long time, not needing communication to talk with one another. Yugi continued to stroke his thumb across his father's hand, his eyes examining the hand in his grasp.

The hand was still strong, the tanned skin smooth and tight, young. There were a few scars dotting the surface, evidence of the life that Yami had lived.

Yugi fingered one scar that he remembered well. When he had turned 10 Yami had tried to back him a cake for the first time. Being a 5,000 + year old spirit, Yami didn't have much luck with modern appliances. The oven was no exception.

While trying to remove the cake from the oven, Yami had burned himself, and quite seriously, enough to leave a permanent scar.

There was a soft snore, and Yugi looked up to see that his father had fallen asleep. Yugi chuckled faintly, standing and wheeling Yami's chair to the base of the stairs. He then slipped his arms carefully beneath his father, hoisting him up into a comfortable position. Yami let out another soft snore, at which Yugi cracked a smile. Yami hadn't started that until he'd turned 30, but it wasn't loud or annoying.

Yugi carefully maneuvered his father's limp body through the doorway, laying him gently on the bed. After covering him with the blanket Yugi watched him silently. He kissed Yami's forehead gently. "I love you Dad… Atem… _mou hitori no boku_…"

* * *

This is the end, I'm sorry to say. It was a great ride, and I really loved writing it!!! 


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